Brewing Tips

Making a perfect espresso:

The water. Use clean fresh, cold water with minimal mineral content, otherwise known as soft water. If you know that the water in your area is hard, use a water filtration system.

The coffee. Well, we are partial to our own espresso. It is a blend of over eight origins, done in the medium roasted Northern Italian style.

The grind. This will take some trial and error. You want a find grind that will adhere to your skin if you touch it. However, if the grind is too fine, you will over extract the coffee. This causes a bitter espresso with no crema.

What is the crema? The crema is the foamy head of the espresso, typically one third to one half of an inch thick.

The espresso machine. Be sure that your espresso machine is clean. A dirty espresso machine can ruin the cup. It should also be warm. Often the second shot will be superior to the first one that you pull.

How much coffee to use. Use 7 grams of coffee for each shot of espresso.

Believe it or not, a lot can go wrong in brewing your cup of coffee. Here are some steps to consider:

The water. Use clean fresh cold water with minimal mineral content. If you know that the water in your area has mineral problems, use a filtration system.

The grind. The grind should be fine, but not powdery. It should feel sandy to the touch.

The coffee maker. Be sure that your coffee maker is clean. A dirty coffee maker can ruin the cup.

How much coffee to use. While this is an individual choice, we recommend starting with one heaping tablespoon for each cup of coffee as a base point.

What kind of coffee maker should you use? We suggest the French-press method because it brings out the character of the coffee and provides the best press. When using a French press, keep the grind coarse.

How long can you keep hot coffee before drinking it? Generally speaking, coffee looses its character after half an hour. It should be thrown out after an hour unless you store it in a thermos. Never re-heat or boil your coffee, this makes it bitter.